CEIN provides consulting services to entrepreneurs, or "rabbits" who want to start a business or improve their businesses. Assisting about 350 entrepreneurs a year, CEIN's services are free or very low cost. The success rate of those attending CEIN's entrepreneurship courses is excellent: of 250 entrepreneurs who have taken the course, 213 have birthed a viable company.

Among the offers is incubator space for start-up companies, who can stay in a nurturing environment for two years or more. The Innovation Center currently houses 22 companies.

Of particular interest to foreign investors is the center's Spinoff Project. In this program, CEIN encourages large companies to externalize some of their activities so new companies can be created. CEIN has helped 15 spin-offs, five of which are up and running and providing outsourcing possibilities to larger companies.

Here's an example: A mold-making company wanted to outsource one of its grinding operations, which was then being subcontracted outside of Spain. Why not help a new company establish and keep the business in Navarre? The new company has been created, with CEIN arranging the financial aids, showing the new businessman how to manage his company, as well as helping to get a guarantee of work from the large company.

Befitting its role as a major industrial center, Navarre has the technology resources to assist industry. One is CETENASA (the Technology Center of Navarre), which was created in 1989 to enhance the competitiveness of Navarre industry. The center funnels technology to companies and conducts applied research for companies in Navarre, as well as the neighboring Basque Country and Aragón.

The center focuses mainly in three areas: materials/metrology, electronics/computer sciences and lasers.

The center has an excellent reputation in the materials field, having worked with metals and plastics for 25 years. It can help companies make the change from classic materials to new materials.

In metrology, the center has ENAC accreditation, a signal of quality and guaranty. In fact, the center has the most accreditations in Spain -- dimensional, force mass, pressure, electricity, temperature, humidity, torque and others. Calibrations performed at CETENASA are valid for all of Europe.

For laser cutting, welding and heat treating technology, the center uses 5kw and 1.2kw machines. The big machine, the only power laser of its type in northern Spain, cuts in three dimensions.

Staffed by 65 engineers and doctors, CETENASA works with 800 companies. For example, in the automotive industry, the center has provided parts and components for VW, General Motors and Ford. It develops the production process and determines how to reach the best quality for the part. One project the staff points to with particular pride is its work on hardware and software applications for Torres' aeronautical business.

Companies often call on CETENASA to solve materials problems. The center analyzes the materials, checks the processes and finds the culprit.

Most of the center's costs are paid by services to companies. But the Navarre government contributes 20 percent to fund generic research designed to keep the province on the cutting edge of technology.

There are numerous examples of practical assistance to industry. One is adapting equipment to applications. The company can try out equipment before installing it in the plant. Also, before making an investment in new technology, a company can test its feasibility in CETENASA's labs.

Working in tandem with CETENASA is the Association of Industry of Navarre (AIN), a nonprofit, private group whose membership includes 200 companies.

AIN's training and advisory services are wide-ranging: applied research in mechanics, automation, industrial design, surfaces; quality and productivity; legal advice on such issues as negotiating a new contract; European relations; selecting and recruiting personnel and many other fields. In the last three years AIN has improved the skills of 4,000 people through 15,000 hours of training. The 34-year-old association will also customize training programs for specific industry needs. In these instance, public grants may apply.

The association has experts in environmental and energy engineering and has the capability to provide a turn-key plant for new industry.

In addition to these groups, the University of Navarre is famous for its management training programs, which are held in Barcelona and Madrid, as well as Pamplona.